Panama creates national commission for sustainable development of the swine industry

The Government of Panama, through the Ministry of Agricultural Development (MIDA), created the National Commission for the Development and Supervision of the Swine Industry (CONAPORC). The new advisory body seeks to strengthen Panamanian swine production with environmental, sanitary, and technological sustainability.

CONAPORC will be affiliated with the Ministry of Agricultural Development (MIDA) and will work in coordination with various ministries, producer associations, and the academic sector. Key stakeholders on the commission include the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Health, the National Association of Pig Farmers of Panama (ANAPOR), the United Pig Farmers Association of Panama (APUP), the Association of Pork Producers of Panama (APROCERPA), the National Secretariat of Science, Technology and Innovation (SENACYT), the University of Panama (UP), and the Technological University of Panama (UTP), among others.

The creation of CONAPORC responds to the need to promote modern, sustainable, and technologically advanced pig farming that complies with the constitutional principles of environmental protection, agricultural development, and public health.

The main functions of CONAPORC include:

• Serving as a forum for consultation and analysis of public policies related to the swine industry.
• Developing a National Guide to Best Practices for the swine industry.
• Designing strategies to guarantee the industry's environmental sustainability.
• Formulating recommendations on issues of competitiveness, animal health, and welfare.
• Coordinating actions to supervise and monitor the development of the swine industry in Panama.

The Ministry of Agricultural Development emphasized that this Commission will be “a space for dialogue and coordination between the State, producers, and academia, aimed at strengthening productivity without compromising the country's natural resources.”